Teacher at Christian school in Middleburg accused of sexual relationship with 9th grader

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — A Clay County high school teacher was arrested this week for an alleged sexual relationship with a female student.

According to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, 26-year-old Caitlin Crum, a former teacher at Calvary Christian Academy in Middleburg was taken into custody Wednesday and charged with promoting a sexual performance by a child and sexual battery of a minor over the age of 12.

Investigators say the unnamed student told police she first met Crum when she used to deliver pizzas to the school on Fridays. Crum was later hired as a substitute teacher and then a full-time English teacher. The victim said the relationship began when she became Crum’s ninth-grade student.

Crum told police she was the student’s teacher from Jan. to May 2021. Crum said the victim approached her that April and began to talk about different things that were going on at home.

According to the arrest report, on multiple occasions, after the relationship began, Crum traveled to meet the victim at a relative’s home in Nassau County where several sexual encounters took place, one of which the 9th grader told police Crum had recorded on her phone. That video was recovered by police.

Crum is being held at the Nassau County jail on a $125,000 bond.

“The first thing I think of is my 14-year-old stepdaughter,” a neighbor said. “As an adult, I don’t know how you can look at a child and think that way.”

Action News Jax went to Crum’s last known address but nobody answered. One neighbor who didn’t want to be identified said she was speechless and that as a parent they’ve always talked with their kids about these types of situations.

“No teacher, no one, if they tell you to take off your clothes or if they touch you in any way you have to say something,” she said.

Action News Jax received a statement from the school, where Pastor Ken Pledger said in part: “When we were made aware of the activity, we dismissed Crum and called Clay County authorities. Our goal is to always do our best to protect all of our students.”

The neighbor who spoke with Action News Jax is hoping everyone is okay moving forward.

“I just hope the best for the child,” she said. “Get help for the both of them, especially for the child.”

Action News Jax has also asked for Crum’s employment history but haven’t got it yet. The pastor said they are not aware of any misconduct on school property and when the student was no longer attending the school, the two, as the report states, were meeting in Callahan.

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